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Silver Fish Ridge Trail?

I was looking at the topo map around White Saddle and Monrovia Peak for a ride I'm scoping out and noticed a trail called Silver Fish Trail. The trail descends to the east from White Saddle on what looks to be 1N29 (fire road) to Stone Cabin Flat where it turns into Silver Fish Trail (single track). At one point the trail forks and both sections appear to be the same trail. If one were to take the right fork, when traveling from White Saddle, the trail looks like a dead end after a few miles, but the left fork looks like it goes all the way to Highway 39 right by Morris Dam.

Is this trail rideable? Has anyone ridden it recently? Is it fun?

I don't see any trail reviews for it on SoCalMTB, Single Track Mind, or MTBR.
Posted by Mtnfiend a 28 year old Die-hard Enthusiast on 12/19/04

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Re: Silver Fish Ridge Trail?

If that is the trail I am thinking about, it never makes it to 39. I tried climbing it from 39 and encountered a ride-ending rock slide within a mile or two. The trail had basically fallen away from the side of the mountain. There was no way around it. If they have (or ever) clear it that would be a great ride.

Here is the lesson I have learned (several times) over the years...

If it is not posted in the trails section then don't even think about it.
Posted by ChazMan a 37 year old on 12/20/04

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Re: Silver Fish Ridge Trail?

Even some of the rides that are described in the trails section can't really be done, like Pacoima Canyon. What a mess, with an identical fallen-away trail section. I might be going up to Rincon-Red Box in the next week or so; if I can get to Silverfish (1n29) I'll check it out and let you know what condition it's in. My map shows the truck trail disintegrating into a single track a few miles east of Sawpit fire road (2n30), which might be "closed."
Posted by Big Ben

a 35 year old on 12/22/04
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Re: Silver Fish Ridge Trail?

I'm planning a ride up to Monrovia Peak to Newcome Pass to Chantry Flats. I would love to head down the Silver Fish Trail but don't want to get most of the way down it just to find out I have to ride all the way back up. At lease not this weekend. I've been wanting to ride the Chantry area, now that it's closed for a while. I can't wait to hit some of those trail with no one on them!

If you do ride Silver Fish Trail please let me know. I'd be interested in checking it out some day. Thanks in advance for the information!
Posted by Mtnfiend a 28 year old Die-hard Enthusiast on 12/22/04

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Re: Silver Fish Ridge Trail?

A couple weeks ago about 8 of us headed up the asphalt to ride Chantry with the inclusion of the hike-a-bike (for us mere mortals) up Zion and then to come back down through some of the sweetest singletrack the Gabs has to offer.The conditions are probaly about the best I can remember and we seen no other riders or hikers the trip, until we were at a rest area and came across the people who live up there.They were packing in supplies for the others who live in the cabins.They told us they'd only seen two other bikers and no hikers that day.We finished the same way we started on asphalt,but it was fun tapping out at full speed coming down the road as fast as you could get your bike to go.If you do find a way to hook up this ride from that direction, I'd love to try it.I have done the Newcomb Pass part,but I'm not familiar with coming in from the east.
Posted by Pain Freak

on 12/23/04
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Re: Silver Fish Ridge Trail?

Mtnfiend, I've ridden down 1N29 to a camping area, which I think is Stone Cabin flats. It is all downhill fireroad right around 3 miles. I did notice some trails running easternly and southernly away from that fireroad. I didn't think they were too bike friendly though. The southern one, I think went down through fish canyon, better hiked from the Duarte area. I don't think that trail is complete anymore, because the fish canyon trail from Duarte has been rebuilt many times and is very susceptible to rock slides because of the steepness of the canyon. The other "trail" you mention technically does come out right next to morris dam. The fireroad, 2N28, is there, but I doubt the ST, or trail is in rideable shape, the forest service does not really maintain them. Plus you would have to ride over or around 2 ridges. This whole area is visible from the Rincon-Redbox FR, when riding up from Azusa canyon. I think your best bet to check out this route would be to start up by the Dam and ride up the FR to check out how far it goes. Then ride up the Rincon FR to see the distance and landscape involved connecting Azusa Cyn. or Morris dam to Sawpit cyn. The fireroad down from White saddle is easy, but not that much fun riding back up when the trail ends. Good luck.
Posted by MtbCL

a 41 year old Cross-Country Rider on 12/23/04
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Re: Silver Fish Ridge Trail?

I'm with MtbCL's last four sentences on this one. I rode Rincon-Red Box east from Hwy 39, and the road down to Sawpit Canyon was gated like I've rarely seen, so I couldn't get down to any of the trails. I pro'y could've pulled an overland free-ride down over the ridge, but how to get a 240-lb bike back up and out? The ride was pretty rough over to Hwy 2; I wouldn't recommend it until it's graded/plowed. Lotsa' babies' heads and runoff ravines for many miles. Bahd news, dewd.
Alas, Silver Moccasin Trail looked so sweet... I hope the rain washed my tracks away! (Kidding)
Posted by Big Ben

a 35 year old Weekend Warrior riding a Raleigh M-20 & an '02 Honda XR250R from Hollywood, CA USA on 01/05/05
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